Massachusetts Earns Third Straight Perfect PHMSA Score for Pipeline Safety Oversight
Massachusetts earned a perfect PHMSA score for the third straight year, reflecting major improvements in the state’s pipeline safety oversight and enforcement of natural gas infrastructure standards.
BOSTON (P&GJ) — Massachusetts’ Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has earned a perfect score from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for the third year in a row, marking continued improvement in the state’s oversight of natural gas infrastructure following the Merrimack Valley incident.
The 2024 evaluation again placed the DPU’s Pipeline Safety Division at the top of PHMSA’s annual review, which assesses regulatory procedures, field inspections and enforcement of federal pipeline safety standards.
“The Pipeline Safety Division is one hundred percent committed to vigilant oversight of the gas utilities and the safety of our state’s natural gas system,” said Chair Jeremy McDiarmid. “That dedication is reflected in our track record of receiving the highest scores possible for PHMSA’s annual evaluations.”
Commissioner Liz Anderson said the division’s progress is “reassuring,” adding that “federal regulators approve of the measures we have put in place to ensure the safety of the state’s gas infrastructure to protect our residents.”
Commissioner Staci Rubin said safety and affordability remain core priorities and pointed to recent orders establishing lower caps on Gas System Enhancement Plan (GSEP) spending.
The Pipeline Safety Division oversees intrastate natural gas, LNG and LPG facilities and has expanded its staff significantly, growing to 20 engineers and three attorneys. Led by Director Richard Enright since 2019, the division has increased field presence, strengthened enforcement and improved data systems used to track pipeline condition and damage prevention activities.
PHMSA’s evaluation considers a state’s progress reports, program documentation and real-time observation of inspections. Massachusetts has earned the maximum score in each of the past three assessments.
The division also continues statewide damage-prevention outreach, working with Dig Safe, Inc. and providing seminars aimed at reducing excavation-related incidents.